Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) – Alexander Witt

It’s time to check in with Alice (Milla Jovovich) as I continue my journey through the Resident Evil film franchise for the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Picking up pretty much where the first one left off, this time Alice dives into the above ground horrors unleashed by Umbrella’s T-Virus as she tries to get out of Raccoon City alive.

But while Alice is wandering on her own, there are other folks trying to survive, and hopefully escape the city (which is predominantly a recognizable Toronto). We’re introduced to tough, and scantily clad, cop Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory, who fighting to deliver a believable American accent, doesn’t come across as well as she could), tactical officer, Olivera (the always welcome, and criminally under-used Oded Fehr), a reporter, Terri Morales (Sandrine Holt) and a seemingly hapless criminal, L.J. (Mike Epps).

With the undead everywhere, terrifying new mutations, part of the Nemesis program, and Umbrella sealing off the city, by the order of Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen), our first look at Umbrella leadership, things seem very dire for all involved.

As the group comes together, they are contact, via phone, right outside the MTCC, by Dr. Ashford (Jared Harris) who worked with Umbrella, and is now outside the city. He promises them an escape route if they will recover his daughter, Angie (Sophie Vavasseur), who is still trapped with Raccoon City.

As they try to fight their way out, we learn that those within the city are little more than fodder as Umbrella seems quite happy to see how things play out with the infected, and their new biological weapons in an urban environment.

But of course they won’t be able to contain it…

Things unravel pretty quick for all parties involved, and through it all, we start to suspect that there is something wrong with Alice… which plays directly into the ending of this installment.

Overall, once again, this film isn’t pretending to be anything it isn’t, it’s a movie based on a successful video game franchise, there is the barest of set-up, the most stilted of dialogue, with little to no character development, but, for me, they are still a lot of fun to watch.

And, it’s fun to see all the places around town I recognize, the MTCC, City Hall, streets I know… I love stuff like that.

Milla continues to be the center of the film, though is easily able to share the spotlight with the new characters that come in, but she is definitely the core of these films, and it’s awesome to watch her kick ass, but as mentioned before, these films aren’t changing the world, they are popcorn entertainment, easily watched, easily forgotten, but for some of us (with the ability to unplug our cinematic snobbery (I can do it sometimes)) a guilty pleasure.